Florida among 46 states with widespread flu outbreaks

Local hospitals report 3x more patients this year

Influenza is on the rise across the country, according to a new CDC report.

Influenza is on the rise across the country, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Influenza is on the rise across the country, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Mary Stringini

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You're 200 percent more likely to get the flu this year than last, and 400 percent more likely to get it than you were two years ago.

At the same time, a national IV bag shortage could leave hospitals scrambling to treat all those patients.

Tampa Bay area walk-in clinics are slammed with patients like Adalyn Fryberger and her mom Christi. Christi just found out on Monday that she's the latest victim of the flu.

"I can't believe it. I don't think I've ever had the flu before," she said while holding a flu diagnosis from a Bay Care Convenient Care location in St. Petersburg.

Robby Flanagan is coming down with the flu, too.

"It's definitely frustrating. I don't ever like to not feel good so anytime I can avoid it that's the course I prefer to take," he explained.

Avoiding the flu this year is harder than ever. The cold weather helped the virus fester, as we all stayed inside. The flu vaccine is only 10 percent effective this year, although Tampa General Hospital Nurse Nancy Epps says it's still best to get one.

"It's better than nothing and it really is the only prevention that's out there."

Nearly every hospital in Tampa Bay is dealing with a big spike in patients. The Florida Hospital Group is seeing triple the amount of flu patients at their Tampa Hospital compared to this time last year. Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital and the Largo Medical Center have also seen a spike in the number of flu cases.

At the same time, hospitals are dealing with a national IV bag shortage. Hurricane Maria caused one of the largest suppliers, Baxter, in Puerto Rico to stop production. Local hospitals tell us so far the shortage has impacted their supply, but has not impacted patient care. Many hospitals have switched to pills or giving injections with medication to use the IV bags more sparingly, but as flu cases rise, it's something they're watching very carefully.

Hospital workers best advice: As tough as it may be, stay home when you're sick. That's difficult for Flanagan. "It's not like when you're a kid and you miss school. Work is a lot more important and you can't always afford to miss it," he explained.

So if you haven't gotten the flu shot yet, this map could give you a good reason, despite it's low effectiveness:

The number of jurisdictions experiencing high activity went from 21 states to 26 states and New York City and the number of states reporting widespread activity went from 36 to 46. Influenza-like illness (ILI) went from 4.9% to 5.8%, according to the CDC.

According to the CDC's definition, influenza (also known as the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The flu is different from a cold. The flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have the flu often feel some or all of these symptoms:

Fever* or feeling feverish/chills

Cough

Sore throat

Runny or stuffy nose

Muscle or body aches

Headaches

Fatigue (tiredness)

Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.* It’s important to note that not everyone with flu will have a fever.